I read the article Bill wrote on the Gateway store closings. I found it interesting and I agree that the reason the Gateway wasn't able to compete effectively was it didn't have a compelling enough product to seperate it from the rest of the Windows pack.
I would like to add that it wasn't as though Gateway didn't try to come up with a product that would allow them to step outside the Windows paradigm. For several years, Gateway developed and attempted to market a new computer based on the Amiga.
It was strongly alluded by Gateway execs that a major stumbling block in bringing their Amiga based machine to market was the licensing agreement that they had with Microsoft.
Gateway is one of several companies who have tried to offer additional choices outside of their Microsoft software and have been reminded by Microsoft that a deviation in their offerings would have strong economic penalties. This was the case with Hitatchi Japan and their attempt to offer BeOS on their PCs.
So, I think that it is a bit unfair to say that Gateway suffered from a lack of imagination in its offerings. And while their were certainly other factors in the demise of the Gateway Amiga machines, the most glaring and overwhelming is that of Microsoft's heavy-handed marketplace tactics.
Some links:
amiga.emugaming.com/concept.html
news.com.com/2100-1040-22...egacy=cnet
news.com.com/2100-1001-22...egacy=cnet
www.nytimes.com/2002/03/2...05&ei=5070
www.birdhouse.org/beos/by...ootloader/
I would like to add that it wasn't as though Gateway didn't try to come up with a product that would allow them to step outside the Windows paradigm. For several years, Gateway developed and attempted to market a new computer based on the Amiga.
It was strongly alluded by Gateway execs that a major stumbling block in bringing their Amiga based machine to market was the licensing agreement that they had with Microsoft.
Gateway is one of several companies who have tried to offer additional choices outside of their Microsoft software and have been reminded by Microsoft that a deviation in their offerings would have strong economic penalties. This was the case with Hitatchi Japan and their attempt to offer BeOS on their PCs.
So, I think that it is a bit unfair to say that Gateway suffered from a lack of imagination in its offerings. And while their were certainly other factors in the demise of the Gateway Amiga machines, the most glaring and overwhelming is that of Microsoft's heavy-handed marketplace tactics.
Some links:
amiga.emugaming.com/concept.html
news.com.com/2100-1040-22...egacy=cnet
news.com.com/2100-1001-22...egacy=cnet
www.nytimes.com/2002/03/2...05&ei=5070
www.birdhouse.org/beos/by...ootloader/
